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Give Your HDL a Raise - Quick Tips

By — One of many Cholesterol blogs on

If you're reading a lot of information on cholesterol, it's likely you're seeing a lot of details reviewed and repeated.  Here are some I've found appearing consistently in a lot of the articles if you want a quick and easy cheat sheet.

1)  Foods that raise HDL cholesterol include onions, omega-3 acids, and soluble fibers. Eat half a raw onion a day raises HDL (good) cholesterol an average of 25 percent in most people with cholesterol problems.

2)  Eat at least two servings of foods high in soluble fiber. Soluble fiber is found in whole grains, oats and oat bran, brown rice, fruits such as citrus fruit, apples, grapes, etc. and legumes & lentils. The soluble fiber raises HDL levels and helps lower total cholesterol. The wholegrain are also good source of linoleic acid.

3) Use cooking oils higher in monounsaturated fats, such as canola or olive oil. It is found that monounsaturated fats raise HDL levels.

4)  Increase your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids found in fish, cold-pressed flaxseed oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil, canola oil, dark green vegetables, etc.

5)  Eat at least two servings of soy (phytoestrogens) products. Tofu, tempeh, and TVP (texturized vegetable protein) may help raise HDL levels. Include at least two servings each day.

6)  Avoid trans fatty acids i.e. hydrogenated oil or vegetable shortening (Dalda, Rath, and Vanaspati in India). Choose a liquid or semisoft variety of margarine in your diet Trans fatty acids are found in and many fast foods and french fries, baked goods such as cookies, crackers and cakes. Remember, the softer the spread, the less trans fat it contains.

7)  Avoid refined carbohydrates like sugar and refined flour. These have shown to raise blood cholesterol and triglycerides.

8)  Avoid food sources of cholesterol such as egg yolk, liver, kidney, brains, etc. 

9)  Avoid high fat dairy products such as regular milk, cheese and cream.

10) Reduce alcohol intake. However, alcohol (wine or beer) in moderation may raise HDL levels. However, if your do not drink, don't start to raise HDL, it is not a medicine.

11) Do aerobic exercise (brisk walking, jogging, etc.) every alternate day.

Remember - your LDL to HDL is more important than the total of their individual values.

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